From NST Online (9 Mar 2008):
Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of the DAP, which won 19 of the 40 state seats in Penang, is expected to take over the chief minister’s post on Tuesday.
He said he would be sworn in after the party and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which won nine state seats, making a total of 28, form the Penang state government with more than a two-third majority.
PKR won nine of the 16 state seats it contested, while PAS maintained its Permatang Pasir state seat, and lost the other four.
Yesterday, Penang PKR chief Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said the party had agreed to form a joint government with the DAP, and also on Lim ’s appointment as the new chief minister.
Lim said the party would also cooperate with other opposition parties to form the government in Penang and other states.
The oposition also won big in Perak, Selangor and Kedah in yesterday’s polls.
Lim said the Penang DAP-PKR state governmemt would pursue investor-friendly policies to ensure that Penang retains its edge as the leading industrial and manufacturing hub and put public interest first in the implementation or review of any project or policy.
“We wish to assure both local and foreign investors that we are fully cognizant of the importance of their major contributions to our state economy,” he said.
“We shall be holding dialogues, discussions and consultations with industries, commerce and small and medium industries upon taking up the reins of government.
“The manufacturing sector comprises around 42 per cent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs approximately 200,000 workers, of which half are in the electronic sector,” he said.